To My Friends and Family Who See Me Sharing Articles About Mental Illness

I began a new voyage in my journey with my mental illness when I first opened and read some of The Mighty articles. I took a giant leap in that voyage when I decided to submit an article of my own. It meant more than I imagined after seeing a submission of mine published, and to push it even further, when I told and heard from a few people who read my submission to The Mighty that they were inspired. That was all that I ever wanted to benefit out of sharing a little about this part of my life.

Now when I share another person’s article, I wish to carry that along. I wish to help people understand and at the very most be inspired. Here is a list of a few of the many benefits and reasons I share Mighty articles.

1. It might open your eyes to these invisible illnesses.

Over time I have seen that it is true that mental illness can be truly invisible. Even when it is not, so very many people will still not be able to understand. That won’t ever stop me from helping in the least ways possible.

2. It takes a weight off my back.

Believe it or not, my mental illness places a weight on my shoulders that is hard to take off sometimes. Sharing with anyone willing to read the articles prove that I am not alone in my struggles I have no choice to go through.

3. It’s a reminder that this disorder does not define me or the authors of these clearly insightful articles.

Whenever it feels like having bipolar disorder is the only thing that people will see or judge me upon, sharing the experience of others shows that this doesn’t define any of us. This doesn’t have to be exclusive. We can have support and share our unchosen setbacks.

4. This is a passionate part of people’s lives.

If it wasn’t important to someone, these articles wouldn’t exist. Putting energy into these articles is a unique and special way of healing. With my mental illness, including others is giving myself a support system. Support systems take a lot of courage to build.

5. In a lot of these articles I couldn’t have expressed the experiences and emotions any better.

I like to have an open ear and it surprises me what I learn when I do. I hope you can hear us out in the mental illness community of saying what oftentimes needs to be said — or even more compassionately, what needs to be heard.

Hawk’s identity includes being a Native American male living with Bipolar I Disorder and OCD. He is a part of the LGBTQ community being that he’s gay. He has a wide variety of interests and is somehow always trying to find a purpose in life.